I know your Secret
by UndoubtedlyTheWine
Summary: What happens when a deadly mistake in the past comes back to haunt you? Alternate Universe.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

 _ **Nevada City, California**_ _ **  
**_ _ **13th April 2014**_ _ **  
**_  
It was a windy night. A man was walking home after a day's hard work in the field. He couldn't wait to get home and lie down on his warm bed. He quickened his pace. The street was dark. A sole street lamp flickered somewhere in the distance. But the man was not scared. The street and its surroundings were quiet familiar to him. He used the same route everyday to reach home.

Suddenly he heard loud music. It seemed to be growing louder. He wondered who that could be. A loud honk made him jump. He turned. A red Porsche was coming straight towards him. He covered his ears to shut the blaring music. The driver seemed to have lost control over the car. It was going zigzag and any moment it would hit him. He seemed to be frozen in place. The car was about to hit him but then he heard screeching of the brakes and the car swerved away just in time.

'Bloody teenagers!' he yelled loudly. The car didn't stop.

The man waited till his heart beats returned to normal. He let out a sigh of relief. It was a close call. He was about to die. He thanked the lord and continued his journey homeward.

The occupants of the Porsche were all in their twenties. 'You could have killed him!' a girl was yelling at the guy who sat in the driver's seat next to her. She shut the music angrily.

'But he didn't die, did he? Relax!' said the guy coolly.

All her friends except the girl were drunk. They were heading home from a club. She would miss them a lot. She had come to California to study criminal psychology. Now that her two year course was complete, she was going to head back home. She had enjoyed two years with her best friends to the fullest. He glanced at Amanda and Edward in the backseat who were fast asleep and then to Jasper who was sitting next to her driving the car. They had shared joys and sorrows and they would stay forever in her memory. The car took a dangerous turn and she was jolted back from her thoughts.

'Jasper stop the car! Right now!' she yelled.

'Why? What's wrong?' Jasper asked lowering the speed. The car came to a halt and she got out. She took the wheel and Jasper got in next to her.

'Scaredy cat!' he said laughing.

'Shut up! I want us all to reach home safely' she said.

Jasper kept looking at her for next few minutes.  
'What?' she asked.

'I am really going to miss you. In fact we all are. Can't you just stay here? Why do you need to go back?' Jasper asked.  
She didn't want to cry but she failed to stop the tears.

'I am going to miss you all too! But I can't stay here forever. You know that. But I promise I will come to meet you all for Christmas' she said smiling.

'Yeah! And we will be in touch through calls and face book too' said Jasper.

She drove in silence for some time. There was still time to reach home. Jasper covered her eyes with his hand. 'Jasper stop it!' she said angrily trying to throw off his hand.

'Oh come on it's a dare! You have to drive like this for five minutes. I have my eyes on the road. I will guide you' said Jasper.

'No!' the girl said and shook off his hand. You are going to pay for this when we reach home. Her eyes were not on the road. She and Jasper were arguing and then Jasper suddenly yelled, 'Look out!'

The girl's eyes went wide with shock as she saw a man in the suit ahead. He was standing still in the middle of the road. He was apparently drunk and he had not noticed their speeding car. She honked but he was not in her senses. Jasper turned the wheel violently but this time they were too late. A scream escaped her lips as their car hit him and he was thrown a few feet into the air. His body fell down like a rag doll and he lay still on the street.

Amanda and Edward too were wide awake by the sudden commotion. They hot down from the car and ran towards the man.

It was the most gruesome sight they had ever seen. The man's face was distorted and they could see blood on his face. His face was beyond recognition.

'Oh my! What's happened to him?' Amanda whispered.

Jasper checked his pulse with trembling hands.

'He - he is not breathing' he said softly.

'No- no please don't say that' the girl said sobbing.

'He is dead' said Edward. He too had checked the man's pulse.

'Oh my god! I killed him! I - what do we do?' the girl cried helplessly.

'But how did this happen?' asked Amanda.

'It was my entire fault' said Jasper.

He narrated all that had happened. 'We should go to cops' said the girl.

'No! Are you out of your mind? They will sentence us for murder!' said Edward.

'Wait a minute. And I don't think he was killed because of us. He was already injured. I mean look at his face!' said Jasper.  
'But nobody would believe us' said Amanda in a terrified voice.

Edward looked around carefully. He scanned the surrounding. Not a soul except them was present.

'Listen to me now everyone! He is already dead. Nothing can be done now. Nobody has seen us. I say we will dispose the body somewhere nearby and get the hell outta here. We certainly can't go to the cops. No one would know we were here.' said Edward.

'Are you crazy? We can't do that!' said the girl in alarm.

'He is right! Let's just do it. We don't have a choice' said Amanda.

'But what if you guys land in trouble because of me? I am leaving this country tomorrow. But what if someone has witnessed this accident? I will confess my crime to the cops. I can't land you guys in trouble' said the girl.

'Nothing's gonna happen. We are going to dispose this body somewhere. And you are not going to the cops. That's decided.' said Jasper with a note of finality in his voice.

'But -' the girl protested but her friends paid no heed. They carried the dead body and put it into the trunk of the car  
'Where do we go?' asked Amanda.

'I know a place. There is a lake out here. A farmer used to live there in his hut. But he died drowning into the lake and after that the place has been abandoned. No one knows of that place. We can bury him nearby' said Jasper.

'I will drive' said Edward.

They arrived at the lake pretty quickly. They saw a wooden hut. Edward checked it out to make sure no one was around. He came back with a satisfied expression. They set to work. The ground was soft. They dug a pit quickly and big enough to accommodate the dead body. They lay the body inside and covered it with mud. They stood staring at it for a few minutes.  
'I don't have a good feeling about this' said the girl in a shaky voice.

'Forget it. It was an accident. Besides, the man was at fault too. He was standing in the middle of the road!' said Jasper.  
'Guys let's leave before anyone spots us. And remember one thing. This secret is buried right here with him. We will not talk about it ever. And none of us should tell it to anybody. Understood?' asked Edward.

They nodded and marched back towards the car. They rode back home silently shaken from the night's events.  
They stayed together for the night. None of them could sleep.

The next day the girl boarded her flight back home. Her friends had come to see her off at the airport. They hugged her telling her to forget last night's events. She bade them a final teary goodbye promising to return soon to meet them.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**  
Days passed. Eventually all four of them forgot about the accident. So far they had not heard of the accident. There was no news about the man or the accident. No missing complaint had been filed. Life went on as if nothing had happened. They were convinced that nobody had seen them. They were all safe or so they thought.  
It was a new moon night.

The lake looked beautiful and calm. Ripples were created on its surface due to the light breeze.  
The wooden hut stayed dark and silent by its side.

Suddenly a blackened hand rose from the ground. It was burnt black and shrivelled. Too bad they didn't take the accident seriously. Little did they know that a new horror was slowly making its way towards them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **13th April 2015, Mumbai**

'Good morning Daya!' Mr Belfort wished peeping up from behind the newspaper.

'Good morning! All well?' asked Daya.

'Yeah! So how are you going to spend your weekend? Up for a drink young man?' asked Mr Belfort.

'Nah. You know I don't drink. And I have got work at bureau. So it'd gonna be a hectic week end for me' said Daya.

'Oh sad! Anyway see you around! I have exact ten minutes to finish reading the newspaper before my wife arrives and ropes me to do gardening!' said Mr Belfort.

'Haha! All the best!' said Daya and went inside his house to get ready.

An early riser, Daya would always make it a point to talk to Mr and Mrs Belfort, his charming neighbours. Then he would hit the inbuilt gym inside his house and go to work. Daya was a CID officer. He was a senior inspector and held a respectable position in the society. He was young, dashing and a good looking hunk and yet he was single. Many girls had proposed him but he still hadn't found that special someone. He didn't know who exactly he was waiting for.

He remembered hos best friend's words clearly, 'Daya aise to tumhe koi nahi milne wala. Mujhe to samajh me nahi aata tum exactly dhoond kise rahe ho!' said Abhijeet.

Mr Belfort too would introduce Daya to young ladies from his family or friends but to no avail.

Daya knew that when he would meet his love, he would know. How and when was still a mystery.  
He did his workout and got ready.

He stepped out of the house and approaches his bike. Mr Belfort having done his gardening was back on his favourite chair in the garden and now was listening to the radio.

'Goodbye Mr Belfort!' said Daya.

'Goodbye! Oh I forgot yet again! Daya can you do me a favour? Can you get me a medicine?' asked Mr Belfort.  
'Sure!' said Daya.

Mr Belfort handed him the medical prescription. As Daya turned to go, Mr Belfort stopped him suddenly.

'I read your horoscope today! Your daily forecast is quiet interesting!' exclaimed Mr Belfort.

Daya knew what was coming. It would definitely be related with his marriage. He was quite right.  
'I read your horoscope today! It says you are going to meet the love of your life this month!' said Mr Belfort quite overjoyed.

'How many times have you told me the same horoscope Mr Belfort? And I am really not worried. I know I will get someone soon who is the right one for me. Besides I am happy with my life.' said Daya smiling and went off on his bike.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**  
The cell phone was ringing continuously. Purvi rushed to pick it up.

'Hello?' said spoke.

'Purvi! Kitna time phone uthane me?' asked Shreya.

'Shreya! Number change kiya kya? Mujhe kitchen me thi aur mujhe ring sunayi hi nahi di!' said Purvi.

'Accha accha thik hai. Mera phone dead hai. Abhi battery change karne aayi hu. Usi shop se call kiya ye batane ke liye ki main monday se bureau join kar rahi hu!' said Shreya excitedly.

'Wow! Congrats! Main kitni khush hoon! I am sure tum ye job bohot enjoy karn wali ho! Accha, mera appointment letter lene main abho CID bureau jaa rahi hu. Tum bhi aane wali ho kya bureau?' asked Shreya.

'Haan lekin mujhe late ho jayega. Pehle ek case ke silsile me kuch logon se puch tach karni hai. Hum ek kaam karte hai. Shaam ko dinner pe milte hai' said Purvi.

'Great! Thik hai! See you then!' said Shreya.

 **O-o-o-o**

Mumbai traffic was extremely tiresome. Daya reached the bureau ten minutes late. He rushed inside the building. Daya stepped into the lift and bumped into Abhijeet.

'Are Daya tum? Maine socha main hi sabse late hoon' said Abhijeet.

'Ye traffic bhi na. Nahi to main jaldi nikala tha ghar se' said Daya.

'Accha kal se koi nayi ladki hoin honewali hai. Purvi ki dost hai. Shreya naam hai uska' said Abhijeet.

'Accha? ACP sir bol rahe the last week kuch.' said Daya.

'Hmm... Maine pucha Purvi se. Bohot intelligent hai and dikhane me bhi acchi hai. Aur sabse important baat. Uski shaadi nahi hui hai aur na hi uska koi boyfriend hai' said Abhijeet.

'Ye sab tum mujhe kyu bata rahe ho?' asked Daya.

'Are bas keh raha hoon' said Abhijeet naughtily. The day passed quickly.

In the evening Daya and Abhijeet went out for dinner.  
'Abhijeet main jara uss shop me jaake aata hu. Meri nayi shirt collect karni hai' said Daya.

'Accha thik hai. Tumhara hine ke baad saamne wale restaurant aa jana. Main ek call karke aata hoon' said Abhijeet.

Daya entered the mall. The shop was on the fifth floor so he took the lift. It was dark inside. The light had died. The lift stopped on the first floor and a young girl entered. She seemed much shaken. She was trembling slightly. Daya was watching her and she paid no attention to him. She was in her own world. Daya wondered whether she had noticed him at all.

The door clanged shut and they were plunged into darkness. Daya turned on his mobile flashlight. It was at that time the girl noticed him. Her eyes went wide with terror. She glanced at his black shirt and let out a blood curling scream.

'Kya hua?' Daya yelled suddenly.

'Maine kuch nahi kiya! Please don't kill me!' she screamed at the top of her voice.  
'Par main kaha kuch kar raha hu?!' Daya exclaimed giving her a bewildered look. The lift reached the fourth floor and the door opened.

'Noooo!' the girl wailed and collapsed on the floor. She had passed out.

'The people standing outside the lift shot angry and suspicious glances at Daya.  
'Daya patted her cheek lightly.

'Kya hua? Aakhein kholo! Please koi paani leke aao jaldi' said Daya.

Someone sprinkled water on her face. But the girl didn't stir. 'Kya kiya tumne is ladki ko?' somebody asked.

'Aap chup rahiye. Maine kuch nahi kiya. Main ek CID officer hoon' said Daya flashing his badge.

'Toh phir ye aise kaise gir gayi?' a woman asked.

'Mujhe kya pata? Shayad chakkar aa gayi ise. Main ise hospital le jata hoon.' said Daya.

He called Abhijeet. 'Abhijeet jaldi se Lifeline hospital pohoch jao. Haan main thik hoon. Tum aa jao main sab batata hoon.' said Daya.

He lifted the girl and took her to his car. Then he drove to Lifeline hospital.

 **Half an hour later -**

'Dekhiye ghabrane ki koi baat nahi hai. Wo thik hai. Use chakkar aa gayi thi air kuch nahi.' the doctor informed him.  
'Kya hum mil sakte hai use?' asked Daya.

'Nahi maine use abhi neend ki dawai di hai. Kya aap unke rishtedar hai?' the doctor asked.

'Nahi. Main nahi jaanta is ladki ko. Thik hai hum abhi chalte hai. Agar kuch problem ho to hume bata dena. Ye raha mera number.' said Daya.

'Lekin uss ladki agar pucha aapke baare me to kya batau?' asked the doctor.

'Main CID officer Daya hoon. Agar usne pucha to bata dena. Thank you Doctor' said Daya.  
He and Abhijeet then headed back home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

She was running as fast as her legs could carry her. Her breathing was uneven. She wasn't bothered about the route she had taken. All she wanted was to escape from the forest alive. She heard somebody following her. She saw a shadowed figure through the mist following her with quickening pace.

She let out a loud scream which echoed off the eerie forest. Her foot got caught in a root of the tree and she fell down on the ground. She let out a howl of pain. Her foot was twisted at an unnatural angle. An awful smell assaulted her nostrils and she felt a sick sensation in her stomach. A man came into view. He was holding a silver dagger. It glinted in the moonlight. The man wore a black coat. His face was not at all visible. He raised the dagger.

'No!' she screamed.

He stood still. He was looking at her. 'Wh -who are you?' she whispered trembling.

'Prepare to die!' he rasped.

'Noooo! Please! Leave me!' she begged.

He raised the dagger and it came swishing down straight at her. She rolled over to her left side.  
She let out a hair rising scream as the dagger pierced her arm.

'Aaaahhhh!' Shreya was screaming.

'Madam! Kya hua? Aap thik to hai?' a voice spoke.

Shreya opened her eyes. She looked around her. She didn't know where she was. She sat up on the bed suddenly and wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead.

The doctor burst inside her ward. 'Nurse Kya hua? Sab thik to hai na?' he asked.

'Main yahan kaise? Kisne admit kiya mujhe?' asked Shreya.

'Aap ko kuch bhi yaad nahi? Aap gir gayi thi chakkar aane ki wajah se!' the doctor said.

'Oh haan... wo... wo aadmi to mujhe thik se yaad nahi. Par haan main use dekhke bohot dar gayi thi. Main jor se chilla rahi thi aur aur phir mujhe chakkar aayi' said Shreya.

'Aap dar kyun gayi? Wo ek CID officer the unhone hi aapko admit kiya yaha pe' the Doctor said.

'Pata nahi. Kuch thik se yaad nahi aa raha. Wo hai kaha?' she asked.

'Wo toh chale gaye!' replied the doctor.

'Chale gaye? Ajeeb insan hai' thought Shreya.

'Waise madam aap abhi bhi neend me chilla rahi thi! Kya aapko koi pareshani hai?' asked the doctor.

'Nahi. wo... maine actually ek bura sapna dekh liya. Sorry' said Shreya.

'Thik hai koi baat nahi. Aapke saare reports normal hai. Mujhe lagta hai aapko bohot jyada stress hai kisi baat ka. Isiliye ye sab ho raha hai aapke saath. Meri baat maniye aap do teen din rest kar liyjiye' said the doctor.

'Are ye aap kya keh rahe hai doctor? Parso se meri nayi job start ho rahi hai. Pehle hi din mai chutti kaise le sakti hu? Lekin main apna khayal rakhungi. Waise mujhe discharge kab milega?' she asked.

'Abhi mil jayega discharge. Lekin ghar jane se pehle aap jara mere cabin me aayein. Main aapko medicines de deta hoon.' the doctor said.

'Okay thik hai. Thank you doctor' said Shreya.

 **O-o-o-o**

After leaving the hospital Shreya called Purvi.  
'Tu baat mat kar mujhse! Kal raat gharpe kitna wait kiya maine tera. Aur jara cell phone dekh le apna. Chalis pachas missed honge mere kam se kam!' said Purvi angrily.

'Yaar I am sorry. Actually main kal mall gayi thi shopping karne. Uske baad tere hi ghar aanewali thi lekin phir...' said Shreya. (She told Purvi what had happened)

After listening to Shreya, her anger vanished and she asked in a concerned tone, 'Tu thik to hai na? Aur wo CID officer kaun tha? Aur ek CID officer ko dekhke tu itna dar kyu gayi?' asked Purvi.

Shreya bit her tongue. Purvi didn't know anything about Shreya's little secret. How could she be so foolish? But Shreya would have to be careful now. Purvi was a CID officer after all. She couldn't risk letting her know her secret.  
'Hello? Shreya tu sun rahi hai na?' Purvi asked.

'Haan. Wo mere phone ka kuch problem hai. Accha sun main pehle mere flat pe chali jati hu. Thoda fresh hokar mujhe kuch grocery shopping karni hai aur naye headphones bhi kharidne hai. Main tujhe aaj shaam ko milti hu tere ghar pe pakka. Phir bast karenge.' said Shreya

'Accha thik hai. Par abhi tu akeli hai. Jara sambhalke. Tujhe ab thik lag raha hai na?' asked Purvi.

'Haan main bilkul thik hu. Tu fikr mat kar' said Shreya.

'Ok to phir aaj raat mere ghar pe hi ruk jaa. Kal subah saath me hi bureau chale jayenge' said Purvi.  
'Okay! Chal bye! Milte hai shaam ko' said Shreya and hung up.

She then took a cab and went home.

 **O-o-o-o**

Daya was surfing on the web along with his Sunday Brunch. His phone beeped suddenly and went dead.  
'Oh no! Iski battery change karni thi! Aur haan recharge bhi karna tha! Bhagwan jaane mera postpaid plan kab activate hoga! Lekin tab tak ke liye mujhe dusre mobile pe recharge karna hi hoga!' he thought.

He sighed and went to his room to get dressed. A few minutes later he was on his way to the mobile shop.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**  
 **6 pm** **, Mintel Mobile Shop** **  
**  
Shreya entered the shop carrying heavy grocery bags.  
'Bhaiyaa jara headphones dikhayei. Aur Cover bhi lena hai mujhe Galaxy Note ka. Aur please thoda jaldi' she said impatiently to the shopkeeper.

He went in and got a box of headphones.  
'Ye dekhiye madam. Ye black wale kaafi chalte hai aaj kal' he said.

Shreya place her phone on the counter and began searching for the headphones.

Meanwhile Daya entered the same shop. He was in a hurry. He had to reach the mobile battery store before it closed.  
'Isme kuch funky colour nai hai? Jaise wo -' Shreya was saying when Daya interrupted -  
'Bhaiyaa 500 ka recharge karna hai. Please jaldi kijiye main bohot jaldi me hu' he said.

He was in his own world and didn't notice the angry stare Shreya gave him. Daya placed his phone which was a galaxy note too next to her cell phone.

The shopkeeper came back with new headphones as well as his recharge book. 'Kya price -' said Shreya but once again she was cut off by Daya.

'Jee mera number likh lijiye' he said.

'Aaj kal logon ko tameez aur discipline naam ki koi cheez pata hi nahi hoti.' Shreya muttered angrily so that Daya could hear her.

'Jee kuch kaha aapne?' Daya asked her.

She threw him a disgusted look. Daya suddenly recognised her. She was the same girl who had yelled and then fainted in the lift.

'Tum?' Daya asked.

Shreya had not seen Daya's face properly and so she didn't remember him at all.  
'Excuse me?' she asked with attitude.

'Hadd ho gayi! Ek to maine ise hospital admit kiya. Iski help ki. Mujhe thank you bolne ke wajay attitude dikha rahi hai mujhe' thought Daya.

'Hello' said Shreya waving her hand in front of his face which brought Daya back from his trail of thoughts.  
'Kya?' asked Daya.

'Aapko recharge nai karna? Ek to mujhe disturb kiya aur mera time waste kiya aur ab mujhe kyu ghur rahe ho?' she asked.

'Ek minute main tumhari beech me nahi aaya hu. Mujhe bohot jaldi hai. Tum faltu ke comments kar rahi ho uska kya?' asked Daya.

'Dekho tumhe jo karna hai jaldi karo. Mujhe tumse ladhne me koi interest nahi hai. Bohot saare kaam hai mujhe' said Shreya.

Daya once again turned to the shopkeeper but then someone called his name. 'Daya!'

He looked around and spotted his college friend waving to him from outside the shop.  
'Main bas abhi aaya.' he said to the shopkeeper and went outside.

Meanwhile Shreya continued with her shopping.

Five minutes later Daya came back when Shreya was saying, 'Bhaiya kitna hua cover aur headphones ka?'  
'Aacha mera ho gaya recharge ka? Kitna -'

This time it was it was Daya's turn to get interrupted. ' -pehle mujhe batayein!' Shreya said in a loud voice.

'Dekh lijiye bhai inka pehle' said Daya. He went and stood at a corner looking at her.

Shreya paid the money and took her grocery bags and then she picked up the phone and moved out of the shop.  
'Ho gaya unka sab? Ab mujhe batayein' said Daya.

'Sir aapka recharge maine kar liye hai. Ek baar check kijiye aapko SMS aaya hoga' said the Shopkeeper.  
'Haan... ek minute' said Daya picking up his phone.

He looked at the wallpaper and wondered aloud 'arey ye kiska phone hai?' A second later he realised the problem.  
That girl had taken his phone by mistake!

'Oh no!' he uttered and rushed out of the shop.

'Are sir aap jaa kaha rahe hai?! Mere paise to dijiye!' the shopkeeper yelled and ran after him.

Daya spotted Shreya just a few metres ahead on her scooty.  
'Madam rukiye! Mera phone galti se aapke paas aaya hai!' Daya yelled running behind her.

Shreya was wearing a helmet so she didn't hear whatever Daya was saying. She saw Daya following her from the mirror.  
'Oh no! Ye to wahi aadmi hai jo mere saath uss mobile shop me tha!' Ye mera picha kyu kar raha hai? Kahi ye goonda to nahi? Ab ye kaunsi nayi musibat aa gayi?' thought Shreya and she raised the acceleration.

'Pagal ladki ye rukh kyu nahi rahi hai! Ek to mera phone' thought Daya angrily.

The shopkeeper too was running behind Daya as fast as he could. He was really angry.

'Are madam aap accelerator kyu de rahi hai?! Aapko ko breaks lagana hai!' Daya yelled.

'Nahi mujhe rukna nahi chahiye! Kya karu? Iss raste se aage jati hoon. Jyada traffic nahi hoga to main fast gadi chala sakungi. Purvi ke ghar jaane me der hogi par thik hai. Aaj iss aadmi se bachne ek hi raasta hai' thought Shreya.  
She zoomed off at full speed and Daya had to stop running. He had lost her.

'Ab kya karu main?! Iss ladki ne to mera din kharab kar diya! Lekin main bhaag kyu raha tha itna? Mere paas to bike thi!' thought Daya angrily.

At that precise moment the shopkeeper came behind him panting. 'Ye to had ho gayi! Recharge ki chori kar rahe ho?' he yelled at Daya.

'Main chori? Nahi nahi aap ki koi galti nahi hai. Kyuki aaj ka din hi bakwaas hai!' said Daya controlling his temper.

'Wo ladki mera phone le gayi. Uska kya karunga aab main? Aur main ek CID officer hoon. Main kyu chori karunga?' asked Daya.

'Dekhiye aap mere paise mujhe de dijiye bas. Baki mujhe kuch pata nahi' said the Shopkeeper.

'Ye lijiye aapke 500 rupaye!' said Daya angrily.

The shopkeeper went back. Daya too went back. He sat on in bike wondering what to do. How on the earth was he going to find that girl? He didn't even know her name! Daya checked her contacts for anyone named 'mom' or 'dad' or 'home'. But he couldn't find one. Finally Daya decided to go home. He turned on the ignition but the bike wouldn't start. Daya was so angry! What the hell was happening with him?

He walked his bike to a nearby garage. While the mechanic was doing his work, the girl's cell phone rang. Daya was surprised to see ACP Pradyuman's name as the caller.

Daya received the call and spoke to him.

 **O-o-o-o**

 **Purvi's House,** **9 pm** **  
**  
'Aur phir wo mere piche bhagne laga! Uss mobile shop mera itna sa jhagda hua mera uske saath isliye mere piche hi pad gaya wo! Ek to itna attitude bhara hai uske andar ki puchna mat. Bas agli bar mere saamne aane de use! Jail nahi bhijwaya na to mera naam bhi Shreya nahi! Ye sab main aaj bhi karti lekin abhi tak main CID join nahi hui hoon na' said Shreya angrily.

'Shreya baas kar! Kitna gussa karegi! Aanede use saamne phir sab milke dekh lenge' said Purvi.

'Hmmm... aur uski wajah se hum hamara dinner kyu spoil kare? Chal kitchen me chalte hai. Rice banana baki hai' said Shreya.

Both Shreya and Purvi went to kitchen and set to work.  
Daya reached Purvi's house at 9.30. He rang the doorbell and Shreya opened the door.  
'Tum?' she shrieked.

'Dekho - ' Daya began.  
'Just shut up! Tum samajhte kya ho aapne aap ko? Mere ghar tak aa gaye! Dekho abhi chale jao yahan se! Tum jaante nahi ho main kaun hoon. Main CID officer hoon. Abhi jail bhijwa dungi tumhe! Kyu kar rahe ho picha mera?' asked Shreya.  
Purvi ran outside hearing all the commotion. She was shocked to see Daya.

'Daya sir aap yaha? Andar aayein na!' said Purvi.

Shreya was shocked to hear her words.

'Purvi tu pagal ho gayi hai kya? Kya keh rahi hai? Yahi hai wo aadmi jo mera picha kar raha tha!' said Shreya.

'Kya?! Shreya tu hosh me to hai? Ye Daya sir hai! CID ke senior inspector!' said Purvi.

'What?' asked Shreya surprised.

'Haan Purvi thik keh rahi hai' said Daya.

'Par -' Shreya began.

'Ek minute. Pehle main baat karunga aur tum ekdam chup rahogi samjhi?' said Daya.  
Shreya merely nodded.

'Uss mobile shop me tum mera phone utha ke le aayi - haan haan ye aisa hi hua hai!' said Daya when Shreya nodded in a 'No'

'Ye raha tumhara phone. Isliye main tumhara picha kar raha tha. Tumhe rukne ke liye keh raha tha. Lekin tumne uska galat matlab nikala. Thodi der pehle ACP sir ka phone aaya tumhari cell pe.

Unhe kuch kaam tha tumse. Unhone mujhe bataya ki tum Purvi ke ghar par ho. Isliye main yaha chala aaya. Ye lo tumhara phone. Kya mujhe mera phone wapas mil sakta hai?' asked Daya calmly.

Shreya wanted to disappear into thin air at that moment. What would he think of her? She felt really guilty. He was a senior officer and she had insulted him when he hadn't done anything.

Purvi was giggling. 'Shut up!' Shreya said and went inside to get Daya's phone.

'Sir Shreya ki taraf se main sorry kehti hoon aapko. Wo aisi hi hai. Please aap uski baaton ka bura mat maniye' said Purvi.  
'It's okay Purvi' said Daya smiling.

'Sir please aap andar aayein' she said.

Daya stepped inside her house.  
Shreya arrived holding both cell phones. She was still checking them out and wondering how she committed such a foolish mistake.

'Sorry sir! Wo maine dekhe nahi. Aur aapka phone baja bhi nahi to maine notice nahi kiya' said Shreya handing him his cell phone.

'Ha! Mujhe kaam ke alava koi phone hi nahi karta! Bohot kam dost hai mere. Lekin tumhara phone to bohot baj raha ek baat kahu? Saare log bure hi hote hai aise please mat samajhna!' said Daya.

Shreya looked away guiltily. She couldn't meet his eye.

'Sorry' she mumbled.

'Sir aap dinner karke hi jayein hamare saath' said Purvi.

'Are nahi tum log enjoy karo. Main chalta hu. Mujhe thoda urgent kaam hai' said Daya.  
He left the house.

'Main bas abhi aayi' said Shreya and ran outside.  
Daya was already on his bike.

'Sir ek minute!' Shreya called.

'Daya' he said introducing himself.  
'Daya sir main phirse ek baar aapko sorry bolna chahti hu. Mujhse bohot badi galati ho gayi' said Shreya.

'It's okay Shreya.' said Daya finally. He realised he had spoken very rudely to her a few minutes ago.  
'Nahi actually main bohot jyada agressive ho jati hu kabhi kabhi. Sab log mujhe isi wajah se daat te rehte hai. Par aage se main dhyan rakhungi' said Shreya.

'Hmm... Waise ab tum kaise feel kar rahi ho? Discharge kab mila hospital se?' asked Daya.

'Aapko kaise pata chala main hospital me thi?' asked Shreya surprised.

'Mujhe nahi to phir aur kise pata hoga? Maine hi to admit kiya tha tumhe!' said Daya.

'Oh wo aap the? Mujhe thik se kuch yaad nahi aa raha! Thank you so much sir! Aapne sachme bohot help ki meri. Aur maine bewajah gussa kiya aap par' said Shreya.

'Koi baat nahi. Chodo ab wo sab. Kal tumhara first day hai na? Milte hai phir kal' said Daya.

'Haan. Main bohot excited hoon. It's like a dream come true for me' Shreya was saying.

Daya was observing her. They were quite close to each other. Her hair was flowing with the wind. He noticed for the first time how beautiful she was. He smiled slightly at the silly thoughts crowding his mind.

'Sir aap aise kyu dekh rahe hai?' Shreya asked him.

'Kuch nahi. Chalo main chalta hoon. See you tomorrow' said Daya.

After he left Shreya ran back to the house. She smiled to herself.

He was really good looking and -  
Her thoughts were broken as Purvi called her from the kitchen.  
 **  
** **O-o-o-o** **  
**  
It was late in the night when Shreya noticed something abnormal. She was staring at herself in the mirror when she noticed a slight cut on her arm. She couldn't recall when she had got hurt. 'Strange' she thought.

She brushed aside the thought and settled on her bed thinking about her handsome senior. She couldn't get his face out of her mind. She was really excited about her new job.

But she shouldn't have ignored the cut on her arm. She really had no idea about the evil which was slowly moving closer to her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Since their awkward first meeting, Shreya and Daya had become really good friends. Their blooming friendship was noticed by everyone. Things were perfect whenever they worked on some case together.

But when it came to normal talks, Daya found himself getting really nervous. He never wanted to miss the opportunity to talk to Shreya. But whenever she looked at him, he suffered from loss of words. The grins which he received from his colleagues on such occasions made matters even worse.

Today was one such evening. Their meeting was quiet unexpected. Daya was idling away in the corner. He was at a wedding reception party of his distant relative. He didn't know anyone. He barely had a few acquaintances.

Everyone was enjoying the sultry evening. Daya was not at all interested in attending the party. He had come merely to kill time as Abhijeet was out of town for some work and he had nothing else to do. Long and boring Sundays were one of the greatest drawbacks of not having a girlfriend he had realised. He definitely had someone in mind. He didn't know what the outcome would be though.

The party was being held in an outdoor marquee attached to the side of a hall and many people were gathered outside. As Daya scanned the crowd, a slender figure suddenly caught his attention. He was pleasantly surprised as it was none other than Shreya. She was wearing a long black dress that fit her curves perfectly. Her black patent heels finished off the look as her hair sat in loose curls around her face. She indeed looked stunning in this look which was quite new to Daya. He watched her silently for a few minutes.

She too didn't have anyone to talk too it seemed. What a perfect opportunity! Daya hoped he looked better. He ran his hand through his jet black hair messing it up a bit.

Should he go and talk to her? Should he shake her hand? What should he say to her? So many questions ran through his mind.

More people arrived as the night set in and people were looking forward to a great fun filled night. But unfortunately the weather had other plans and dark grey clouds overshadowed the area, threatening to unleash a torrent of rain on the party-goers, effectively ruining their fancy outfits.

While Daya was still making up his mind on how to approach her, he looked around and saw that Shreya had disappeared. Daya was totally disappointed. Why had he wasted so much time? Had she left the party? Or even worst was she only in his head? Was he hallucinating?

He felt happy as he spotted her again after a few minutes. She was chatting merrily with other guests. Daya made his way to the centre hoping she would spot him.

And he was in luck. Shreya and Daya looked at each other at the same time and Shreya's eyes widened in surprise. Daya too gave her an awe filled stare. She made her way towards him slowly. He managed to give her a small smile as she stood in front of him. He racked his brain for something to say. What should he say? Maybe "are you enjoying the evening" or even better "you look really beautiful tonight"

'No that would sound really stupid' thought Daya feeling sheepish.

He had gone over the things he would say to her over a hundred times for quite a few days now. But now, when the moment had arrived, he couldn't anything. He found starting an informal conversation with her a very difficult task.  
'Hi' were the words which poured out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

'Hi sir!' she said.

He sensed laughter in her voice and he couldn't help feeling stupid. He wasn't even able to start a normal conversation. Just two syllables. That's it. Where had all the daring gone? He faced the criminals without any fear. What had happened to him now?

'Aap yaha kaise sir?' Shreya asked.

'Main bilkul aana nahi chahta tha. Par aur kuch karne ke liye bhi nahi tha to socha yaha aa jaun. Main yaha kisi ko bhi jyada kuch nahi janata' accepted Daya frankly. He felt relieved. Finally he had found someone to talk to. And her striking beauty was an icing on the cake.

'Tum?' he asked.

'Shraddha meri college ki saheli hai' answered Shreya.

'Kaun?' Daya asked wondering who on the earth Shraddha was.

'Shraddha! Jiski shaadi me hum aaye hai' said Shreya giggling.

'Oh! Haan. Shraddha ki shaadi hai! Sorry' said Daya kicking himself inwardly for opening his mouth.

Silence settled between them once again. But he had gained certain confidence. The tension around them had reduced considerably.

'Toh kaisa lag raha hai naya office?' asked Daya finding nothing else to talk on.

'Bohot accha hai. Waise maine nahi socha tha ki ye kaam itna thrilling hoga' Shreya chided happily.

'Tum akeli aayi ho ya kisi ke saath?' Daya asked.

'Akeli aayi hoon. Waise main soch rahi thi main jaaun ya nahi. Par main nahi aati to Shraddha ko bura lagta. Main uski engagement me bhi nahi jaa payi thi' said Shreya.

Shreya felt a few drops of rain on her face.  
'Oh no baarish ko bhi abhi aana tha!' said Shreya.

'Haan. I think hume jaldi nikalna chahiye.' Daya said.

'Hmm. Main to auto se aayi hu. Pata nahi baarish me milegi bhi ya nahi' said Shreya.

'Auto? Main chod dunga tumhe ghar' said Daya.

'Are nahi nahi sir. Main chali jaungi' said Shreya.

'Kya main chali jaungi? Itni raat ko akele kaise jane de sakta hu main tumhe?' asked Daya.

'Sir aap kyu takleef le rahe hai. Aur mujhe dar nahi lagta. CID officer jo hun!' said Shreya.

'Haan haan pata hai CID officer ho. Phir bhi main chod dunga tumhe. Aur ab ye final hai' said Daya in a stern voice.  
'Okay sir! Dinner kare?' she asked.

'Haan chalo' said Daya.

They sat at a round table a bit away from the entire crowd with their food plates. 'Maine suna tha tum US me thi CID join karne se pehle?' asked Daya.

'Haan sir. Main Criminal Psycology padne US gayi thi. Bohot hi alag experience tha mere liye' said Shreya.

'Aur kuch batao US ke baare me. Aisa koi experience jo tum kabhi bhul nahi sakti' said Daya.

Shreya shot him a look. His words made the hairs on the end of her neck stand. The scary eerie feeling came back to her. How could she forget that horrible night? That gruesome accident? The crime they had committed. And why was Daya asking her such questions? Did he know anything? But that was impossible. There was no way he would know.  
'Kya soch rahi ho?' Daya's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

'Kuch nahi. Aisa toh koi bhi incident nahi hai' said Shreya not meeting his eye.

Daya felt sudden change in her behaviour a bit odd. However, he ignored it.  
Shreya was scared to tell him the truth. She was scared of losing him. How would he react after knowing her mistake? Would he stand by her or leave her?

Daya felt she was hiding something from him. He was determined to find out. 'Maybe she doesn't trust me' he thought. For the time being he decided to let the matter rest.

'Shreya chale? Late ho gaya hai' said Daya after they had finished eating.

'Nahi rukiye na thodi der please' said Shreya instantly.

Daya looked at her. She turned away her gaze.

'Ghar nahi jana chahti?' he asked her in an amused voice.

'Nahi. Mera matlab hai. Chaliye nikalte hai' she said.

Daya smiled.  
They walked to his majestic Harley bike parked outside the lawn.  
Shreya was a bit disappointed that he had refused to wait but she didn't say anything. She wanted his presence but she didn't want to sound too desperate.

As they drove slowly along the empty street, sometime later Shreya noticed that they were on a completely different route.

'Daya sir ye kaunsa raasta hai?' she asked him.

'Ghar ka' said Daya.

'Kya? Nahi ye ghar ka raasta nahi hai. Hum kahi aur aa gaye hai!' said Shreya.

Daya halted his bike and looked around.  
'Oh no! Ye main kaha aa gaya! Main actually kuch soch raha tha aur pata hi nahi chala iss raaste pe kaise chala aaya! Tum bhi na Shreya! Pehle nahi bata sakti thi? Kitne door aa gaye hum ghar se!' said Daya innocently hiding away his smile.

'Mujhe kya pata? Bike to aap chala rahe hai na?' said Shreya with fake anger. But inside she was feeling very happy.  
'Ab aaj raat to ghar nahi jaa sakte. Petrol nahi hai gaadi me' said Daya.

'Kya? Ye kya keh rahe hai aap? Toh raat bhar kya karenge? Aur kaha jayenge?' asked Shreya.

'Yahi kahi raat gujarni padegi. Mujhe ek jagah pata hai Tumhe dar to nahi rahi ho na?' asked Daya laughing.  
'Jee nahi!' Shreya retorted back.

'Chalo phir baitho aaram se. Pohochne me abhi time hai' said Daya.

He started the bike again and they rode in silence. The silence which communicated a thousand words between them.  
Daya didn't notice the speed breaker in front of him and the bike flew up a bit in the air. Shreya was caught by surprise held Daya around his waist tightly. As the bike landed with a thud on the road, her cheek hit his back.

Daya started apologizing to her asking her if she was hurt, but Shreya just let the moment stay with her for a bit, feeling his warmth.

Daya noticed that Shreya wasn't in a mood to reply and he felt her cheek against his back. Not wanting to ruin the moment, he kept quiet enjoying her touch.

After some time, they finally reached and Daya halted the bike. Shreya had still not left him.

'Kya raat bhar aise hi baithne ka irada hai madam?' he asked.

Shreya realised what he had said and left him immediately.  
'Sorry sir' said Shreya.

'Sorry kyu?' asked Daya.

'Sir please' said Shreya shyly.

'Kya? Wajah to bolo sorry kehne ki' said Daya.

'Yaha rukne wale hai hum sari raat?' asked Shreya changing the topic.

'Waha' said Daya pointing at the huge tree. It had a huge branch which had ample resting space for two people.  
It was indeed comfy. Shreya was enjoying the adventurous night immensely. Due to lack of space, they had to sit quiet close to each other. Shreya felt his warmth. She made no effort to move away from him.

'Tumne bataya nahi sorry kisliye kaha' said Daya.

'Bas aise hi' said Shreya awkwardly.

Daya gave her a penetrating stare.  
'Shreya main iss raaste se jaan bhujkar aaya tha' said Daya moving closer to her.

Shreya blushed and looked away.  
He caught her hand and made her look at him. He leaned forward and she could feel his warm breath when -  
'- sir please!' Shreya said pushing him away.

'Shreya - kya?' said Daya.

'Mujhe ghar jaana hai! Abhi!' she said.

'Shreya... I am sorry... Dekho -' began Daya.

'Sir aap kuch mat kahiye. Mujhe ghar jaana hai bas!' said Shreya sternly.

'Okay! Tum gussa mat hona please' said Daya unable to understand why had she became upset suddenly.  
Why had he taken such a bold move? Whatever they shared was at a very raw stage and he cursed himself for not giving their relationship some time.

During their entire journey back, Shreya didn't utter a single word.

When they reached her home, she ran inside without another word to him.

Shreya felt extremely guilty for her behaviour. She had ruined the perfect moment. She loved him and he loved her. They were moving in perfect direction.

But that one mistake had scarred her life forever. She didn't dare tell him the truth. And hiding something from him gave her a constant feeling of betraying him. She couldn't bear to hide something from him; whom she loved more than her life. And she knew if he left her after knowing the truth, she won't be able to live without him. She stayed awake for quite a long time angry with herself. She didn't know when she dozed off. It must have been past 2 o' clock.

 **O-o-o-o**

She was in a long dark corridor. It was pitching dark. There was a strange whirring sound all around her.

'Run!' Edward screamed at the top of his voice.

They didn't know where they were going. Shreya was praying inwardly that she would escape alive.

The stalker followed them. They could hear his footsteps closely. Suddenly fumes engulfed them and they started coughing. Shreya knew they were going to suffocate and die in that room.

'Edward! Where are you?' she screamed in a panicky voice.

She couldn't hear anything. The whirring noise was growing deafening.

'Where the hell were they? Why was this man following them? Why did he want them dead?' thought Shreya.

'Shreya!' Edward called out suddenly.

Shreya ran in the direction of the noise and finally she found him.

"Ed! Thank god you are okay! I don't want to die Ed! Please get us out of here! That guy is crazy! What should we do?' asked Shreya.

'We'll be fine. Don't worry. Just don't talk. He shouldn't know our location. Do you smell something burning? Where the hell are we?' Edward asked.

They were thinking what to do when suddenly Edward was hit with an iron rod on the back of his head.

'Ahhhhh!' he collapsed on the floor howling in pain.

'Ed! Oh my god! What happened?' Shreya screamed. She was crying.

The room was lit with a bright yellow light and the stalker came into view. Shreya saw his face for the first time.

Half his face was burnt black. He looked creepy. "Leave us! What do you want?' Shreya yelled at him.

The stalker ignored her and raised his machete ready to strike at Edward lying unconscious on the floor.

"Nooooo!' Shreya yelled and attacked him. But he was too strong. He wore a sharp clawed glove in one hand. He struck her with the same.

She yelled in pain as blood poured out of her arm.

She collapsed on the floor. The stalker raised and struck the machete again and again. Shreya shut her eyes tightly. She couldn't bear to see what had happened to Edward.

Shreya opened her eyes. She was yelling her head off. She was trembling. She covered her ears. The pounding noise was still ringing in her ears. She noticed something wet on her arm.

It was blood. Exactly on her left arm where the stalker had hit her in her dream.

'Oh god! What's happening to me?' She couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She was absolutely terrified.

She rushed to the wash room and cleaned her wound. She thoroughly checked her house. There was no one except her.

'What was all this? What should I do? Should I tell someone? How could it be real? I just had a bad dream. How did it turn real? How did I get hurt?' she thought scared.

'Edward? No! No! No! Please let him be safe! Please god!' thought Shreya.

'I have to confirm if he is alright', thought Shreya.

She grabbed her cell phone and dialled Edward's number. His cell phone was unreachable.

Then she dialled Amanda and Jasper's number. None of her friends were taking her call.

'What was the matter? Were they in some danger? I will keep trying' she thought determinedly.

 **O-o-o-o**

 **Nevada City, California**

Amanda gobbled up her sandwich and drank her orange juice as fast as she could. She slammed the door shut and rushed towards her sedan. She was already late for her Psychology class. As soon as she neared her car, a stinking smell invaded her nostrils.

'Urgh! Where the hell is that rotting smell coming from? She looked around to find some dried blood near the rear door of her sedan. It's coming from the trunk of the car she realised. With trembling hands, she opened the trunk. Her eyes popped out in horror and disgust and a terrible scream escaped her throat. Edward's body lay in her car's trunk. It was totally mutilated. She almost puked looking at the gruesome sight. But when she read the note lying around, fear gripped her

'Prepare to die' the note said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

'Hello? Amanda can you hear me? Hello? Say something dammit!' Shreya yelled into the mouthpiece.

Amanda was still sitting on the ground. She was hell shocked.  
'H - Hello?' Amanda whispered softly.

'Oh thank god! Where the hell were you? I was trying to call you since an hour!' exclaimed Shreya.

'W- What?' asked Amanda.

'Anyway forget it! Where is Edward? I want you to go to his house and see whether he is alright. I - I had a very bad dream. I am really worried for him Amy... Please!' said Shreya.

Tears slid down Amanda's cheeks as she heard those words.  
'We lost him. He - he is dead' said Amanda in a dry voice.

'No! Please say it's a lie! Please!' Shreya shrieked.

'I - I am not lying' said Amanda in a voice which was devoid of emotion.

'But - but what happened? And why didn't you tell me?' Shreya screamed.

'He was stabbed. Brutally stabbed. Someone left his body in my car. And - and there is a note. We are going to die Shreya. I am scared. Please help me. I want to leave this place. Please help me' Amanda said fearfully.

Shreya dropped her phone with a thud. That was not a dream. She was saved today luckily. She too was going to die soon. In fact they all were.

 **O-o-o-o**

 _Baby's good to me,_ _  
_ _you know she's happy as can_ _  
_ _you know she said so._

 _I'm in love with her and I feel fine_

 _Baby says she's mine,_ _  
_ _you know she tells me all the time_ _  
_ _you know she said so_

 _I'm in love with her and I feel fine_.

Daya sighed, and turned over on his bed. He couldn't get his mind off Shreya. They had gone on bike rides, to the movies, and he hadn't been able to get his mind off her.

Till now Shreya was a great friend. They would chat often late into the night. She had been absent from bureau for almost an entire week. And he was missing her badly. She was special to him. And her ignorance was making him go crazy.

He grabbed his phone, searching for her number. He paused, his finger hovering over the dial button. He didn't want to bother her. He was never nervous but today he was hesitant about calling Shreya. He didn't want to seem too eager. During her entire leave, Shreya hadn't bothered to call him. She was acting all strange these days. She had been staying a bit aloof since long time. And she would talk to someone constantly on her cell phone. Daya had a feeling she was avoiding him in particular. He was very upset and desperately wanted to know the reason behind it.  
He closed his eyes and pressed the dial button, waiting for the dial tone to start ringing.

"Heeeeeeey, its Shreya, leave me a message and I'll call you back," voiced her answering machine.

Daya sighed again and tossed his phone across the bed. It collided with his foot, and he gritted his teeth and massaged his foot, which was throbbing dully now.

'Whatever,' He said to himself, sitting up. He sat for a few more minutes on his bed. Then he got dressed and left for Shreya's house.

Daya was surprised to find the door of her house ajar. His hand automatically went towards his gun.  
He searched the entire house but Shreya was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly Daya heard a voice. A small sob. He rushed outside and found Shreya at the door. She was apparently waiting for someone.

'Shreya! Tum mera phone kyu nahi utha rahi ho?' Daya demanded angrily.

'Sir aap yaha kya kar rahe hai?' Shreya asked shocked.

'Tumse milne aaya tha. Tum toh mujhse baat tak nahin karti aaj kal' said Daya.

'Sir aisa kuch nahi hai. Main thik hoon' said Shreya coldly.

'Aur ye kya haalat bana rakhi hai khud ki?' asked Daya eyeing her dishevelled look. The dark circles around her eyes were clearly visible.

'Sir main thik hun. Aap please jaiye yaha se.' said Shreya in a rather rude voice.

'Par kyu? Mujhse aakhir problem kya hai tumhe? Tumhare isi bartav ka karan janna hai mujhe' said Daya.

'Sir please hum baad me baat karenge. Please mujhe akela chod dijiye. I am sorry par main aap se abhi baat nahi kar sakti' said Shreya.

Now Daya was really angry.  
He caught her arm and pulled her closer. 'Aaj main tumhare jawab sune bina yaha se kahi nahin jane wala. Chahe kuch bhi ho jaye' said Daya.

'Sir chodiye mujhe.' said Shreya trying to get free.

Before Daya could say something, he heard a new voice.  
'Shreya!'

Both turned to look at the door to see who the new person was.  
'Jasper!' Shreya whispered. She ran to the stranger and hugged him tightly. He too wrapped his arms around her. Daya clenched his fist in anger.

'Thank god you are safe!' said Jasper.  
'And you too! Thank god you came. I need you Jasper. I can't handle this now all alone' said Shreya.  
Daya was unable to believe his eyes. The scene unfolding before him was unfathomable.

He couldn't believe Shreya had someone in her life that was closer to her than him. And he didn't understand a word they were saying. He felt jealous and angry. How could she do that?

'Who is he?' Jasper asked spotting Daya for the first time.  
'He is my senior. Officer Daya' said Shreya introducing him.  
'And he is-' she began

'I think I should leave now. Anyway I hate to intrude others' privacy' said Daya and left her house without another word.

 **O-o-o-o**

Daya was hurt by her behaviour. He started avoiding her. Still he felt concerned. Shreya was really disturbed. She didn't know how to handle the pressure. There was a constant terror of getting attacked by the stalker. She could share her fears only with Jasper and Amanda. She was happy to see Jasper after the shocking death of their friend. Jasper was in India for some work. She hadn't had that terrifying dream again since Edward's death. They had arrived at a conclusion that someone had deliberately left that note to scare them. The cops so far had no luck in finding the killer. Shreya was scared to sleep or stay alone. What if she got attacked again?

At the same time, work load was increasing day by day. Daya was angry with her and she really needed him at that moment. She decided to apologize to him for her behaviour.

One day she found Daya alone in the bureau. He was sitting with his head rested on the couch. His eyes were closed. Though he appeared relaxed, his mind was in turmoil.

He was exhausted. Noiselessly she sat beside him on the couch and kept her hand on his. He felt her soft feminine touch and a smile crept on his lips automatically.

Then he realised someone's presence next to him and he opened his eyes. Seeing Shreya, his eyes flashed angrily.

'Tum yaha kyu aayi ho?' he demanded trying to free his hand.  
But she didn't let go.

'Sorry' Shreya said softly.

'I will accept it. But only on one condition. I want to know your secret' said Daya.  
She blinked and left his hand looking away.

'Don't you trust me? Main secrets rakh sakta hoon. Main tumhe aise nahi dekh sakta Shreya. Main sach jaana chahta hoon' said Daya.

His eyes locked with hers and she tried her best to avoid tears.  
'Main na batau to hi accha hoga. Hamare liye. Main khona nahi chahti aapko' said Shreya in a voice which was no longer happy.

Daya interlocked his fingers with hers. Bringing their joined hands to his chest, he softly kissed her knuckles.  
'Aisa kabhi nahi hoga Shreya. Trust me. No matter how terrible the secret is, I won't leave you' said Daya.  
She gave him a teary smile.

'He loves me', she realised.

His hand drifted up to her cheek, entirely of its own volition, and he stroked the hair away from her face, behind her ear. She turned her head into his touch, staying there for a moment, just breathing against his skin. Daya slid his arm around her neck, her upper back, tugging her against his chest for an embrace. His cheek settled on top of her head and she closed her eyes feeling calm for the first time since many days.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

'I am coming with you to California for some days' said Shreya adamantly.

'No! You are safe here! I can't risk your life by taking you back!' said Jasper.

'No one is safe! He is going to stalk us till he gets his revenge!' said Shreya.

'What revenge? What have we done?' asked Jasper.

'I - I saw the attacker's face in my dream. He is the same man who was hit by our car.' said Shreya shuddering.

'What the hell are you talking about? That man is dead. How can he come back? Are you suggesting his ghost is haunting us?' said Jasper.

'I don't know' said Shreya slowly.

'Are you insane? It was a bad dream. Ed's death has nothing to do with your dream!' said Jasper.

'What about this marks then?' asked Shreya pointing at the machete wound on her arm.

'I don't know. You must have hurt yourself somewhere' said Jasper.

'No! I know it's him. I know it!' said Shreya.

'How could he come back? He was dead!' said Jasper.

'We can't forget about the past no matter how hard we try. Sometimes we wish we could close our eyes and say it was just a dream; but when Reality comes, it comes with its rude awakening' said Shreya in a scared voice.

'We are going to be okay. So what should we do?' said Jasper keeping a comforting arm around her.  
'We should check if he's really dead' mouthed Shreya.

'What? Are you suggesting that we should visit that lake again?' asked Jasper.

'Yes. We'll dig up his grave and check whether he is still there' said Shreya.

'I don't like this' said Jasper.

'We have to do it. There is no other way out. The Three of us, we have to do it' said Shreya.

'Alright. We will go to California tomorrow. I'll call Amanda' said Jasper.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**  
'Sir Mujhe kuch dino ki chutti chahiye thi' said Shreya as ACP Pradyuman arrived in CID bureau.  
It was 8 pm and they were getting ready to leave from bureau.

Daya looked up at Shreya. He didn't know anything about this.  
'Shreya tumhari tabiyat to thik hai na? Aur ye achanak kyu chutti chahiye tumhe?' asked ACP Pradyuman gravely.

'Haan sir main thik hoon. Main bohot late bata rahi hu aapko par mera kuch personal kaam tha. Aap agar chutti ki permission de de toh' said Shreya.

'Thik hai. Par jaa kaha rahi ho tum?' asked ACP Pradyuman.

'Mujhe mere dost ke saath US jaana hai. Wahi kaam hai mera' said Shreya.

'USA?' said Daya surprised.

Everyone turned to look at him. 'Haan wo kuch urgent kaam tha' said Shreya averting his eyes.

'Thik hai Shreya. Chali jao tum. Aur apna khayal rakhana' said ACP Pradyuman.

 **O-o-o-o**

Daya was highly irritated by Shreya's behaviour. Without a word to her, he had left the bureau. At 10 pm his doorbell rang. He knew who is visitor might be. And he was not mistaken. Shreya stood at his door. He left the door ajar and went back to his room. She sensed his anger and followed him silently into his room.

'Daya?' said Shreya as she briskly walked towards him.

Daya pretended not to notice her and continued reading the newspaper.  
'Daya main jaanti hun aap meri decision se naraz hai. Par mera jaana jaroori hai.' said Shreya.

'Main kaun hun tumhe rokne wala. Aaj tak tum wahi karti aayi ho jo tum chahti ho. Main itna important nahi hu Shreya. Mujhe kuch fark nahi padta.' said Daya.

'Daya please aise baat nahi hai' said Shreya.

'Main bohot dino se notice kar raha hoon Shreya. Infact jabse bohot ajeeb bartav kar rahi ho tum. Jaroor aise koi baat hai jo main aaj tak nahi jaanta' said Daya.

'Daya main aapse kuch bhi chupana nahi chahti. Par abhi main kuch nahi bata sakti. Par main aapko sab sach bataungi US se wapas aane ke baad. I promise Daya. Par is waqt mujhse kuch mat puchiye please' said Shreya in a pleading voice.  
'Tumhare "special friend" ko bata sakti ho par mujhe nahi?' asked Daya angrily.

'Daya kyuki use already sab pata hai. Wo tha mere saath jab wo sab hua' said Shreya.

'Kya hua? Aisa kya hua tha tumhare saath Shreya' asked Daya.

'I am sorry Daya. Main nahi bata sakti aapko' said Shreya.

'Wapas kab aa rahi ho?' asked Daya.

'Bas ek week ke kiye jaa rahi hu' said Shreya.

'Thik hai Shreya. Main tumhe batane ke force nahi karunga. Jab tak tum khud nahi batati tab tak main tumse kuch nahi puchunga' said Daya.

'Thank you Daya' said Shreya.

She looked into his eyes for a few good seconds. She didn't want to take them off.  
He sighed. 'Tum thik ho na Shreya?' said Daya.  
Shreya nodded slowly.

But as Daya laid his hand on hers and smiled, she gritted her teeth as countless tears began to stream down her face. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly.  
'Kya hua Shreya?' Daya asked.

'Kuch nahi.' she said.

She was really scared. She didn't know whether she would be able to come back alive. Whether she would ever feel his arms around her ever again…

'I won't say farewell! I won't say it!' said Shreya to herself, her fingers digging into his back. She was desperately clinging to him.

Though he wasn't able to see her face he knew that tears were flowing faster now.  
'What could have happened? Why was she so scared?' he wondered.

She had decided not to let her emotions overpower her but she had been defeated. She had realised that she wouldn't be able to step out of the house without telling him.

Though her voice shook as badly as her body when she spoke there was a kind of fierce vehemence in her voice when she murmured into his chest 'I love you'

Daya smiled and kissed the top of her head. 'I love you too Shreya... More than anything. Mujhe nahi pata Shreya tum kisliye US jaa rahi ho. Par main tumhe kuch nahi hone dunga. You'll be safe' said Daya.

Those words had a magical effect on her. She pulled back to let him see her face, to see the tears burning painfully in her shining brown eyes. She nodded and whispered 'I know Daya'.

He wiped her tears softly. 'Daya mujhe jaana hoga. Flight ka time ho gaya' she said.

'Take care Shreya' said Daya caressing her cheek.

She left with smile and a final nod to him. She boarded a plane to California with Jasper, dreading the future.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Amanda stood waiting for them at the airport. 'Thank god you guys are here. I was so damn scared. I thought I won't be able to see you guys alive' she said in a worrying tone.

Shreya could see dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep. 'Have you been having those terrible dreams too?' Shreya asked.

'No. But I just can't get to sleep. What if he lands in my room to kill me?' she said shuddering slightly.

'Stop it guys! Nothing's gonna happen. We will end it. If that bastard is alive, I'll kill him. I'll pay him back.' said Jasper.

'It was my mistake. And everyone is suffering because of me. If I die then maybe he'll leave you all' said Shreya.

'Shut up!' said Jasper and Amanda together.

'Stop talking nonsense! You are wasting time!' Jasper said outraged.

'Yeah. We are in this together Shreya. And now we should think what to do next' said Amanda.

'Let's go home. Then we can think and decide what to do' said Jasper.

They went to his home.

'I would like to show you guys something. Ever since you mentioned the guy in your dream, I couldn't get him off my mind. I googled the lake hoping to get some info about it and look what I found!' said Jasper in an excited voice.  
He handed them some printouts which he had gathered from the internet.

 _'CAN THE DEAD COME BACK?'_

 _'FREAK ACCIDENT KILLS PSYCOPATH'_

 _'STRANGE SIGHTINGS OF THE DEAD MAN'_

Shreya scanned the titles of the articles. She read a few lines below one heading:

A freak car accident killed a man who was believed to be a psychopath killer. Nearby residents feared him.

'His face is all pale and distorted. He threatens us with a machete and a chainsaw' some local residents spoke to our correspondents. The accident is believed to have happened past midnight. The car driver had consumed alcohol exceeding the limit specified and apparently lost control over the car. The driver and the car have currently not been traced yet. The local police are investigating the case. The victim identified as Jason Heckley was cremated in the cemetery near the lake.

'It's him! But then this accident happened almost three years ago! It means we didn't kill him! But then how did we see him?' asked Shreya.

'He was alive. And maybe this time he really died! When he was hit by our car, I mean' said Jasper.

'How can he be alive? Shreya just read that they cremated him!' said Amanda.

'Read this!' said Jasper shoving a newspaper clipping in Amanda's hand.

The article was dated a month after the accident. It said:

 _ **Jason Hekley, a 42 year old local resident who was believed to be dead freaked out a group of teenagers as he walked out fit and fine from his hut.**_ _ **The youngsters believed him to be a ghost and tan for their lives.**_  
 _ **In a statement to our spokesperson, Jason expressed his wrath on finding his own grave in the cemetery and a registered death certificate when he was still alive and in good health.**_

'This is not done! I am amazed how come nobody confirmed his death. And if he was alive, whom did they cremate earlier then?' asked Shreya.

'I think we should go and have a look at that cemetery' said Jasper.

'Please I want to go to that lake first. Just to make sure' said Shreya.

'Yeah. We'll go and have a look' said Jasper.

'I have some work in the garage. I will be back in an hour. Till then you stay here and take some rest. Then at night we will go to that lake' Jasper announced after sometime.

When Jasper left, Amanda went to take a warm shower. Shreya texted Daya, that she had reached California safely.

Amanda and Shreya sat in the living room waiting for Jasper to arrive. 'I miss Edward' said Amanda slowly.

Shreya looked up at her to see her eyes full of tears. 'I miss him too. But you know what? I have shut him out of my mind. Because every time I think of him, the horrible image comes back. The way he was pleading and the way he was killed' said Shreya sniffing.

'We - we had started liking each other. It was pretty serious' said Amanda.

'You were dating Ed?' asked Shreya surprised.

'Sort of. He hadn't officially asked me out but he was planning to. He had told me this Valentine's Day would be really special for me' said Amanda.

'I am so sorry.' said Shreya squeezing her hand.

'I think this is the worst life can give. Snatching away someone you love so deeply' said Amanda.  
Shreya closed her eyes.

'I miss you Daya. How I wish you could have been here with Me.' she thought.

'Don't think about it. He's not coming back. But we have a deadly mission on our hands. We have to avenge his death' said Shreya.

'I know. You are right.' said Amanda.

 **O-o-o-o**

As Shreya had suggested, the following night at 11 pm the three of them set out into the night towards the lake.  
They were unusually silent as Jasper drove his car through the empty and dark street. Jasper stopped the car a few feet away from the lake.

They stepped out slowly. They had come fully equipped with flashlights and a licensed gun. Just in case they required it.  
The moon was out radiating a soothing light around them.

Shreya felt drained. All the courage had vanished suddenly. This was different and much scarier than her usual CID job. Dealing with humans was so much easier than encountering power of the supernatural right?' she thought.  
They heard an ominous hoot of an owl from somewhere far.

The hairs on Shreya's neck stood on their end for no apparent reason. The lake came into view. A breeze ruffled through their hair. They shivered.

'It's so dark and cold. I don't like this' whispered Amanda.

'Ssshhh... What was that?' asked Jasper suddenly.

They stopped dead on their tracks listening.  
Shreya's heart beats increased as she heard a low whistle.

'Can you hear it?' asked Jasper.

'It's probably the wind' said Shreya in a shaky voice.

Shreya hoped she would never find out from where the noise was coming and that it would stop. But it didn't. It seemed to be growing louder. Jasper withdrew his gun. There was a slight rustling of the dried leaves and Amanda cried 'watch out! Someone's there!'

Shreya clutched Jasper's arm and a fox came into view.

'Damn him! He scared the hell out of me!' said Jasper sighing.  
Shreya relaxed.

'Seriously? What has gotten into us?' cried Amanda as she found out that the noise was coming from the fox.  
The fox looked up at them with no apparent concern about who they were and then leisurely set off, in the opposite direction.

'Calm down everyone. And keep clear head' said Jasper.

'There!' cried Amanda pointing ahead. 'We buried him there!'

Shreya's heart was racing. She didn't know what she expected them to find. They approached their burial spot. The mud was wet but smooth. The ground was even. It showed no sign of activity. Shreya shun the torch light around them. Nothing was in sight. They cast a glance at the soothing and calm lake.

'There's nothing in here' said Jasper.

'Great! I was telling you. Let's get out of here now. We've had enough for the night' said Amanda.

'No wait! What if he is not in there?' asked Shreya.

'What do you mean he is not in there? Shreya he's dead!' said Amanda.

'But we have to make sure' said Shreya slowly.

'Are you suggesting we dig the ground and look?' asked Amanda.

'There is no other way' said Jasper.

'Wait a minute! This was never the part of the plan!' said Amanda.

'Do you have any other lead?' said Jasper.

'Stop it guys! Please!' said Shreya.

'I am just saying that it's not right to disturb a person grave! We'll provoke the spirits!' said Amanda.

'Don't be ridiculous! We are not doing anything! We are just going to have a look!' said Jasper.

Finally everyone agreed. They found some rusty tools from the hut. They began digging. They dug and dug.  
'Are we digging the right spot?' asked Amanda. She was standing inside the huge pit they had dug till now.

'Yes I am sure.' said Jasper.

'But all we came across are tree roots and mud. I am telling you he's not dead.' said Shreya shuddering.

'Wait! I can see something! Something shiny and black!' said Jasper suddenly.

They looked to where he was pointing and sure enough they saw a cloth like material.  
'Come on dig!' he said.

As they progressed, they stopped suddenly. Shreya opened her mouth in horror but no voice came out. Shreya was literally shaking in fear. Inside the pit, there was no dead body. Instead there was a torn black coat and a bloody chainsaw. The putrid smell of the coat and the traces of dried blood were a disgusting sight.

'What the hell? Where is the skeleton? We buried him right here! Where is he?' said Jasper in alarm.

Then something happened. The air around them cracked with some intangible supernatural force. They could feel a ghostly presence around them. They stood rooted to the spot. They couldn't move nor make any noise. It was as if a strange force had bound them tightly.

Shreya's body no longer seemed to belong to her. There was something else; a strange force that appeared to be in complete control of her actions.

A loud scream from Amanda snapped them out of their reverie. An unseen force had held her in place and her arm seemed to be bleeding. It was indeed a horrible sight. It was as if thousands of razor sharp blades were piercing through her body.  
Shreya and Jasper made attempts to reach her but they were in vain. Amanda was thrown into the pit with force. She yelled in pain. Her knee seemed to be broken. She lay sprawled into the pit unable to speak.

'Leave her! Just let go!' Shreya was screaming.

Jasper was struggling to set himself free. Watching their friend dying before their eyes was horrendous. Clumps of dirt fell into Amanda's eyes and mouth, and she attempted to wipe her face to get the soil away.

The soil was filling her nostrils. She was suffocating due to lack of oxygen. She felt weak. She kicked her arms and legs in fear and frustration. Finally she gave in and closed her eyes; her surrounding turning black. The soil kept coming and she was buried alive into the ground.

Shreya's scream of horror never left her. Jasper felt the ghostly presence leave them.

He grabbed Shreya's hand and pulled her into the opposite direction. She looked around and saw he was leading them towards the forest.

'No! We must save her! Amanda! She's alive' said Shreya.

'No! Listen to me! We can't help her. You know it! I won't let us die. Come on! We have to find his grave!' said Jasper.

Shreya couldn't stop her tears. She let him drag her behind him. She had lost all hope. They were not going to live.

They didn't stop running until they reached the cemetery.

'I don't understand. Why are we doing this? Let's go back home. I don't want to know anything else. I am ready to face death but I can't face this anymore. Please Jasper. For my sake' said Shreya.

'I just want to have a look at his grave. I promise we'll never come back again.' she said.

'If he is dead, then we will have to set his soul free. We will have to give him a proper burial' said Jasper.  
'What do you mean?' asked Shreya.

'If his skeleton lies in there, then I am afraid we'll have to put his coat and that chainsaw inside his grave. Only then he will be set free. Else his spirit will continue to haunt us' said Jasper.

'Who told you this piece of shit? Have you gone crazy? We'll die! Look what happened to Amanda! Let go home' yelled Shreya.

'I am not going home! We have not killed him Shreya! That's what I believe! And when it's not our fault, I will not let him win! I will not let him ruin our lives! Look what he did to Ed and Amanda! I am not giving up' said Jasper.

Shreya thought for a moment. However insane his idea seemed, if they succeeded, then they would be able to live in peace. She was not scared of death.

'Okay. I am ready' said Shreya.

'Great! Let's go.' said Jasper.

He pushed open the withered, rusty gate of the graveyard. Shreya looked around them. They were surrounded by lots and lots of trees. The moonlight cast eerie shadows around the gravestones. The white mist swirling around the creepy tombstones appeared to be growing thicker and thicker.

There was nothing- everything was quiet. No leaves rustling, no owl hooting, no fox, nothing.

Shreya tried to shake off the uncomfortable and terrifying thoughts from her head but something kept them there. There was a considerable drop in the temperature. Rows and rows of withered white cement tombstones surrounded them.  
'These are quiet recent. Check if you find something from 2011 or 2010' said Jasper.

Shreya shun the torchlight on one of the tombstones.

 _ **"Go with caution thy bring. For in the graveyard, death will sing"**_ she read the writing engraved on the tombstone.

They walked downwards a slope. 'Shreya! Here it is!' came Jasper cry from somewhere far.  
Shreya ran towards him as fast as she could.

She had been too engrossed in checking out the tombstone engravings.  
'Why can't you tell me where you are going?' she demanded angrily.

'Sorry. Look that's him!' said Jasper.

Shreya looked at the gravestone.

 _ **Jason Heckley**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Born:**_ _ **5th Mar**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Died: 7th Jan ××××**_ _ **  
**_  
'Let's dig his grave and have a look' said Jasper.

'I am not liking this' said Shreya.

'We do not have any other option. Hold this flashlight for me. I will do the digging work. And you keep a watch around us.' said Jasper.

'Okay. Let's get over with this quickly' said Shreya.

She cast a wary look around. They had come really deep down into the graveyard. She wasn't even sure they would be able to find their way out. They were surrounded by dense blanket of trees and shreya could see a iron compound around the graveyard. Maybe it was put to keep animals and intruders away.

Minutes seemed like hours. Shreya wished it was all a bad dream and eventually she would wake up in her warm bed in Mumbai. She missed Daya terribly. 'I should have told him the truth. Then he would have been here with her. He wouldn't have let anything hurt her. How wonderful it would have felt to lie in his arms and forgetting all these worries!' she thought sadly.

'It's there! We didn't kill him Shreya!' Jasper cried out happily.

Shreya peered into the pit he had dug. She spotted a decaying skeleton. The air stanched with the smell of rotten flesh from the grave.

'Thank god. I didn't kill him. Thank god' said Shreya.

Jasper climbed out of the pit.

'Okay. Now just one task left. We have to bury that coat and chainsaw in here' said Jasper.

'But how can we? Amanda! She would be in there! I won't be able to do it' said Shreya.

'I will do it. Just one last thing you do. Then we will be safe. My friend works with the ghost hunters. He knows such stuff. They had freed a spirit in a similar way. The victim was a family. But in the end they were saved. Trust me we'll be -'  
Jasper stopped talking suddenly. The deafening silence around them was pierced suddenly and without warning by the deathly shriek of a jet black crow.

Again and again it shrieked. It was staring at them pointedly Shreya's feet began to shake.  
It was quiet unusual for a crow to be sighted at night. He fixed them with his penetrating stare.

'There are so many of them' whispered Jasper petrified.

Shreya looked around them. Gigantic black crows were surrounding them watching them creepily. Very slowly they began stepping backwards. And without warning the crows attacked.

Their painful screams rent the air as the predators nibbled at their flesh. They managed to shoo them away but the damage had been done. Jasper was critically injured. He was breathing heavily.

'No! No! Don't close your eyes! Jasper! Breathe... Breathe... please... don't go!' said Shreya crying.

'Li... Listen... to... ah... Me! Do what I told you! You will be safe! Trust me! You are going to live. Go!' he stammered.  
'No! I am not leaving you! Please Jasper! Get up! Jasper! Jasper!' she screamed.

But Jasper couldn't hold any longer. He closed his eyes never to open them again.

Shreya let out a wail. She was all alone. Why was the ghost haunting them? What had they done?

She got up. She had only one thought in mind. To get home safely. She was not going to meddle with Jason anymore. She decided she would drive home with Jasper's car and take the first flight to Mumbai tomorrow.

She stood up and cast one last look at Jasper. Wiping her tears, she started forward. At that moment her torchlight flickered and died. She was plunged into total darkness.

'No!' she yelled and collapsed on the ground dejected.

'Why are you being so cruel? Somebody help me please! I don't want to die! God help me' she cried aloud.

She banged her torch on the ground and it flicked back to life again. The light was however dim.

She stood up and began running. She didn't know where she was going. The path began to turn uphill. 'How big was this place? She hadn't noticed any hill when they had arrived' Shreya thought.

She moved forward with swift steps. Then she heard a noise. Someone was following her. She increased her pace. The crunching of dried leaves behind her grew louder. She didn't dare look back.

Her eyes widened in shock as the road in front of her ended abruptly. She slipped and was about to fall into the void below when two cold hands grabbed her.

She screamed. 'No! Let go! Please! Have mercy! Please!'

'Shreya! Main hoon Daya!' Daya cried loudly.

She stopped struggling. She looked at him and her eyes met his. He gently pulled her up without letting go of her hand.  
She kept staring at him. She was at loss of words.

'Daya aap yaha? Aap sach me yaha hai ya phir?' she whispered.

He held her face close which was had with bruises and traces of dried blood.  
'Shreya main sach me aaya hun. Kaha tha na maine tumse main tumhe kuch hone nahi doonga' said Daya.

He sat down next to her and brought her close into his chest. He held her as the tears flowed down her face. She was so overwhelmed by his sudden arrival. He just wanted to make the pain go away. Shreya clung tightly to him. Her entire body was trembling.

'Shreya? Tum thik to ho na? Kya hua? Itna ghabrayi hui kyu ho? Aur sabse pehle tum akele yaha kya kar rahi ho?' asked Daya.

'Aap yaha kaise?' asked Shreya after she had calmed down a bit.

'Mujhe kuch thik nahi lag raha tha. Tumhare jane ke baad agli flight pakad ke main yaha chala aaya. Accha hua tumne mujhe tumhare US ke number se sms kiya. Tumhara phone track karte karte main yaha pohoch gaya' explained Daya.  
'Daya mujhe bohot dar lag raha hai. Ye shayad aapne mere muh se kabhi suna nahi hoga aaj tak par aaj jeh rahi hu' said Shreya.

'Shreya mujhe sach bata do. Sab sach jaana hai mujhe abhi isi waqt' said Daya in a stern voice.

Shreya told him every single detail about what had happened.

She looked up at him to see how he would take it. 'Itni badi baat tumne mujhse chupayi? Kyu?' he asked.  
She could see he was clearly disappointed with her.

'Aaj tak main yahi sochti thi ki wo aadmi meri wajah se. Mujhme aapko sach batane ki himmat nahi thi Daya. Ek baat puchu aapse? Agar main sachme ek mujrim hoti toh aap kya karte?' she asked him.

'Shreya ye kaisa sawal hai? Aur tum mujrim nahi ho. Wo aadmi pehle hi mar chuka tha' said Daya.

'Ye mere sawal ka jawab nahi hai Daya' said Shreya.

'Tum janti ho ki mujhe -'

'Ki aap hamesha sach ka saath denge. Chahe wo kitna bhi kadwa kyu na ho? Agar sach me maine use maar diya hota toh aap mujhe chod ke chale jate na?' she asked.

'Har galti karne wale ko saja milni chahiye Shreya. Par mere zindagi ka itna ahem faisla iss choti si galti se main badal nahi deta. Shayad aur koi hota toh main soch leta. Par meri zindagi me kuch log bohot khaas hai. Jisme ek hai Abhijeet aur ab tum' said Daya.

Shreya smiled. 'I am sorry Daya. Main apse kuch chupana nahi chahti thi. Par mujhe dar tha ki sach pata chal jane ke baad shayad aap mujhe chodke chale jate' said Shreya.

'Itna aasan nahi hai. Itna pyar jo karta hun tumse' he said.  
She hugged him again feeling peaceful.

'Hume chalna chahiye' said Daya.

'Haan. Wo humne car bahar park kari thi. Par hum raasta ghum gaye hai shayad' said Shreya.

'Hume car ki taraf nahi talab ki taraf jana hai' said Daya.

'Kya? Par waha kyu?' asked Shreya.

'Tumhare dost ne jo kaha wo kaam abhi bhi adhoora hai Shreya' said Daya.

'Nahi! Hum waha nahi jayenge. Waha jane se khatra ho sakta hai. Maine mere sare doston ko kho diya hai. Main aapko nahi kho sakti' said Shreya.

'Shreya main in sab cheejo pe vishwas nahi karta par agar isne kuch kaha hai to soch samajhke hi kaha hoga na. Aur mujhe kuch nahi hoga' said Daya.

'Daya please! aapke bina main nahi reh sakti' said Shreya.

'Shhh... bas batein band karo aur chalo. Ab main jaise kahunga bilkul waise hi karenge' said Daya.

Within half an hour, they were back at the lake. Daya dug into the ground quickly. Shreya looked away as Amanda's white face came into view. She felt guilty that she wasn't able to help her friend. Daya grabbed the chainsaw and the black coat and put it in a bag. The surroundings turned icy. Something was not right.

'Daya' Shreya whispered clutching his arm.

They looked around. There was nothing to be seen. Then suddenly, a fistful of Shreya's hair was yanked suddenly and she screamed in pain.

'Who is it? W - Whoever you are go away!' Daya screamed.

They felt someone around them. The forest had become alive. His entire body shook as the wind howled around them.  
'Shreya chalo!' Daya yelled they ran into the forest. As they hurtled into the graveyard, the Wind howled through the trees, tearing at the branches savagely; It was like an enraged woman of nature, dressed in stray leaves and wandering grains of earth unleashing its fury on them.

The moon was suddenly obscured by angry black clouds. 'Kuch dikhayi nahi de raha!' screamed Shreya squinting her eyes to avoid dust particles. They had to fight against the unseen force.

'Aahhhh!' Shreya's mouth flew open in the cry of terror. Both of them crashed downwards as gravel and soil slipped beneath their feet.

'Shreya tum thik ho?' he asked.

'Haan. Daya jaldi please. Wo dekho waha par' said Shreya pointing the open grave.

They ran towards it and Daya threw the bag inside the pit. And then they heard screaming. Both covered their ears to stem the noise. Terrible ghostly wails surrounded them. They weren't able to see a thing as dust swivelled around them. Then they heard an ungodly growl.

They turned towards the direction of the sound and saw a black Rottweiler; his eyes close set and glinting, saliva dripping from his half open mouth, a vicious growl echoing from deep inside. It was not looking at them but behind them into the bushes. Daya turned to look behind them and saw another dog's head appear from behind the trees. Soon they were surrounded by pack of eight ravenous predators, their mouths salivating in a continual drool.

'They are his guardians. They won't let us go' Daya heard Shreya whisper beside him.

Without breathing, two of them began to move sideways in slow motion. The dogs advanced, growling savagely. Daya withdrew his gun. He felt someone behind them and turns to find a dog exactly behind. Without thinking Daya fired at him and he dropped down dead.

There was a loud cry and a sudden explosion of movement as the dogs sprang upon them as they were trying to run. Several dogs lunged towards Daya's neck and he hit the ground. The pack had him surrounded and they began tearing at his clothes viciously. Daya kicked wildly and threw off two of them.

He moved towards Shreya who was near the fence. Her hand was stuck in it and was bleeding. A dog was attacking her foot. Daya limped towards her to free her, a dog still hanging fiercely onto his back. He somehow freed Shreya and helped her climb the fence. He pushed her and she fell with a thud towards the other side of the fence.

Daya was now trying to climb over the fence trying to fend off the angry dogs. He cried out in pain one of the spikes on the fence pierced his arm.

The dogs were banging their heads into the fence trying to reach him. Finally Daya managed to climb over the fence, his heart thudding loudly. The Rottweiler's were barking madly but now Daya knew they were out of reach.

He saw that Shreya was unconscious. Her face was badly bruised. 'Shreya!' he said patting her cheek lightly.  
She didn't even stir. He carried her unconscious figure in his arms and began walking. He wanted to leave that place as quickly as possible. Once they were outside, Daya spotted the car which Shreya had mentioned earlier. He made her sit next to him and drove off.

 **O-o-o-o**

 **3 am** **Hotel Room, California**

Daya was sitting on his bed, working on his laptop after having checked on Shreya who was still sleeping when he heard a terrified scream come from the other room. He quickly set his laptop down and raced the room adjacent to his. Both their rooms were connected from inside. Shreya was lying on the bed, shaking and sobbing.

'Shreya?' Daya questioned quietly. 'Are you okay?'

Shreya shook her head in a 'No' still sobbing like a kid.

Daya held her close. 'Kya hua? Sab thik hai. Ab sab bhool jao. Iske aage sirf accha hi hoga' he said.

'I am sorry Daya. Main koshish kar rahi hoon. Maine mere sare doston ko kho diya. Aur mujhe ye pata nahi chala ki unki galati kya thi? Main nahi bhool sakti ye sab' said Shreya.

'Main jaanta hoon ye tumhare liye aasan nahi hai. Aur maine iss aadmi ke baare me research kiya internet pe. Uski dimagi haalat thik nahi thi. Log sach kehte the. He was a psychopath murderer. Uss jagah pe iske pehle bhi bohot ajeeb accidents me log mare gaye hai. People say that the place is haunted. Main aise baaton pe vishawas nahi karta Shreya par aaj maine uss jagah pe jo mehsus kiya, uska koi explanation nahi hai mere paas. Aur main maanta hoon ki ab wo tumhe pareshan nahi karega. Tumhare dost ne sahi kaha tha. Uska aant ho gaya hai. I am sorry I coudn't do anything to save your friends. Kaash me thodi jaldi pohoch jata waha to kuch madad hoti' said Daya.

'Daya aapki koi galati nahi hai. Aur ab I promise main aapse kuch bhi nahi chupaungi' said Shreya.

He brushed the lightest and most delicate of kisses to the bruise on her head and she tightened her hold on his back.

'I love you' she whispered.

'I love you too. Just go to sleep. Kal hum Mumbai wapas chale jayenge' said Daya.

'Neend nahi aa rahi hai mujhe' said Shreya.

'Toh kya kare?' asked Daya.

'Mujhe sirf aapke paas rehna hai' she said.

'Hmm... thik hai' said Daya smiling.

They allowed silence to fill the room for a few minutes, and then Daya trailed his fingers up and down her spine.  
She shivered a bit snuggling close to him. In the warm cocoon of his arms, listening to the soft, steady cadence of his heartbeat, she found herself letting go of her spinning thoughts. Physical exhaustion took their place Shreya found herself being pulled toward sleep. He was watching her attentively. She had settled into a contented sleep.  
'Just remember you will be safe with me forever Shreya. I will love you. Always.' said Daya.

 **O-o-o-o**

The next day they took a flight back to Bombay. Since that night, Shreya hadn't had the terrifying dream. She knew the unseen force would not bother her anymore. Jason was gone forever for good.

 ***** THE END *****


End file.
